Roadway



Patented Qct. 7, 1924.

raisers HORACE s. HUNT, or JACKSON, MICHIGAN. 1

` ROADWAY.

Application Afiled July 8, 1921. Serial No. 483,182.

. To all whom t may concern:

Beit knownthatI, HORACE S.y HUNT, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Jackson, in the Acounty'of Jackson and State ofMichigamhave invented new and Improved'Roadways, of which the following is a specification. .f

This invention relates to the construction of roadways,and its object is to provide a roadway built up of concrete crossties and longitudinal-girders lhaving reinforcing rods where 'tension stresses are to be expected, the rods of-fadjacent girders'being united permanentlyn v `Another object'of this invention is'to provide a roadway in which yeach part shall be of the size necessary to carry a predetermined load `and in `which Veach part can be leveled up should any portion of the road way sink' 'because of improper foundation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reliable roadwayaat minimum'cost. j This invention consists ofla series of reinforced concrete crosstiesand reinforced concrete girders extending longitudinally of the roadway and having their .ends resting on the cross ties, the reinforcements at-the ends of adjacent girders being connected to-l gether and to the cross ties upon which these ends rest. l v

It further consists in girders formed with longitudinal seats along their upper edges and in cross slabs resting in these seats so as to constitute permanent roadway surfaces. It also consists in the details of construc-` tion illustrated in the accompanying draw ing and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a transverse section of a roadway. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the'line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a seat por'- tion of a cross tie. v

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Concrete roadways are usually slabs of substantially even thickness, the plastic material being spread over the sub-grade which is usually of very uneven load-supporting capacity. The waste of concrete is very great and the roadways crack because these slabs are unevenly supported. In the present construction, good and suflicient foundations are easily prepared Aand the necessary strength of each separateunit is easily provided as the loads thereon can be computed.

rThe sub-grade of this'roadway is pref' erably scraped soits character can be accut0 rately determined. Trenches for the cross tiesl are then dug across the roadways, and, if desired, drain tiles (not shown) may be placed in the bottom of each trench to keep it dry., This permitsthe foundation for 6-5 each cross tie to vbe properly prepared and it also permits each cross tie to be properly leveled. While I prefery each of ...the units" of this roadway to `be pre-cast at a suitable and convenient location, theseunits may all be cast in situ. j j

The cross ties l are preferably formed with longitudinal reinforcing rods 2 and 3 of proper size and number,lto be estimated by any competentV engineer according to the loads to be carried, and I also use stirrups 4 whose loops extend up above they seats 5 formed in these ties. y.

., .Extending iongitudinally` of the roadway and having their endsresting on theseseats 5 S0 ofthe cross `ties are the.` girders or wheel ways V6 which have reinforcing bars 7 near theirlower sides and also have pockets or recesses 8V in their endsnear their lower` sides, the ends 9 of these reinforcing bars 85 being bent,- preferably at right angles, adjacent the upper ends ofthe stirrups 4. The walls 5a at the ends of these recesses position and limit the lateral movements of the ends of the girders 6. I-prefer to form one end of each girder with a sprue 10`through which cast iron may be pouredto fill the recesses 8 `in the ends of the girders around the bent ends of the reinforcing bars 7 and the stirrups 4. The ends 11 of the spaces between 95 unites the ends of the girdcrs and while it permits the cross ties and girders to be leveled should they settle, it prevents all undesirable movement between them.

When the trafiic 1s not excessive, the spaces between vthe girders 6 may be filled with'lO broken stone, gravel or earth, and the girders will` serve as wheel ways for the yheavier vehicles.l But where the traflic is heavy, roadway slabs 14 of reinforced vconcrete may be laid across between adjacent girders, these being formed with longitudinal seats or shoulders 13 to support these slabs. The rods 15 at the bottom of the slabs may be of any desired size and number. These slabs may be lifted out to permitthe orossties and girders to be leveled.

The cross ties may be formed with drain passages 16 having side openings 17 and the girders 6 may be formed with the longitudinal holes 18 to receive lighting,=telegraph and telephone wires.

The `details -of construction and proportions of the partsrnay all be change-d by those skilled in'the art without departing from the spirit of-my inventionA asset forth in the following claims.

l claim 1. A roadway consisting of'reinforced'concrete girders'and reinforced concreteggirders cross ties extendingacross beneathfthe girders and-supporting them, meansto unite the ends of thefgirders to each other andto the 4cross ities, and transverse 'slabs resting on' thel girders.`

2. A roadway consisting of a plurality of longitudinal wheel ways of reinforcedconcrete each ymade up of' separate sections, concrete cross-ties extending across beneath the wheel ways and supporting-the ends 4ofthe sections, and roadway material between the wheel ways. l

A roadway consisting of a plurality of longitudinal wheel ways,each made up'of separate sections offreinforced concrete having recesses in their ends into which' the ends o-f the reinforcements extend, concrete -cross tiesl supporting thelendsof-said sections and lstirrups extending from the cross ties up into the said recesses7 and metal "lling the recesses aroundsaid reinforcements and stirrups.

L1. A roadway consisting of a plurality of longitudinal wheel ways of reinforced concrete' each made'up of separate sections= concrete cross ties extending across beneath the wheel ways and supporting the ends of the sections, and roadway material between the wheel ways7 said cross ties being formed with longitudinal drainage passages.

5. A roadway consistingof aplurality of longitudinal wheel *ways of reinforced -con crete each smade'up of` separate sections,- concrete crossfties-extending across beneath the wheel ways and supportingthefends --of the sections, and roadway materialbetween the wheel ways, said wheel ways beinfglforined with longitudinal passages `"to Vreceive wires.

6. roadway consisting of agplurality of longitudinal "wheel ways of reinforced lconcrete each madey up ofseparate sections,- concrete cross f t'ies-extending-acr1oss lbeneath the wheel ways and supporting vtbaendsof the sections, and roadway 'material Xbetween the wheel ways, the Aupper -sides of the `cross tiesbeing formedwith depressed seats whose side walls restrictflateralino-vement ofthe wheel ways.

7. lAi-ro'adwayv consisting of reinforced concrete crossties extending across the'froadway, reinforced 4concrete Ik=girder vsections lresting thereon and constituting wheel ways and provided withlongitudinal seats'ialon-g their edges below 'their-upper surfaces, 'and roadway slabs'resting on` said seatsandoonstituting a roadway in connection withsaid girders. 

